Conducting research

1
Conducting research

• Thats right, I said research!

2
Good research requires 3 skills

• Finding the best information about the topic you
  are researching.
• Getting that information quickly.
• Giving proper credit to the sources you use to
  write about the topic.

3
Why not just use the internet?

• Its unreliable Theres a lot of information,
  but not all of it is useful, let alone accurate.
• Its heavy Theres a lot and I mean a lot
  of information on the web.
• Its time consuming.

4
unreliability

• While the internet is a powerful tool for
  retrieving information, What you find there may
  not be as reliable as other sources.
• For example
• http//www.martinlutherking.org/

5
Manageability

• The internet has made research both easier and
  more difficult.
• Its like going
• to a huge Wal
• Mart to find
• just a few
• items

6
Imagine...

• ...you are going on an overnight trip with some
  friends, and you make a short list of a few
  things to pick up at the local Wal Mart
• a disposable camera, some batteries for your CD
  player, a six pack of soda, and some toothpaste.
• While you are strolling fifty Wal Mart aisles for
  a half hour to find your items, you realize that
  they could have been bought and bagged in five
  minutes at the corner drugstore.
• The internet is like the Wal Mart!
• Sure, the fifty-plus aisles of merchandise
  provides you with lots of choices, but also lots
  of distractions.

7
It takes time

• With hundreds of different websites to choose
  from on any given topic, the internet can help
  you find what you need, but it doesn't
  necessarily help you find it quickly.
• If you are on a schedule (and you will be), you
  need to decide how you'll spend your research
  time to get the job done most efficiently.

8
Think back...

• ...to the list you made before you went to Wal
  Mart. Imagine how much more time you would have
  taken if you had to figure out what you need by
  wandering up and down aisles.
• Thats kind of what its like with the internet.
• Remember, in On a Fact Finding Mission Moira
  Allen said that you might find the right
  information on the 30th website that comes up.
• Trust me You wont want to look through 30 web
  pages to find what you need.
• During this unit, you will learn how to make your
  "shopping list" your plan for finding only what
  you need, not whatever you might find.

9
Youll learn how to

• find reliable, accurate sources on-line.
• keep track of what you find
• to give credit to others who have studied and
  published materials about your topic.
• use index cards to keep track of information and
  sources.
• make bibliographies so that you give credit where
  credit is due.

10
What Makes a Good Topic?

• Ask Yourself the Following Questions

???
11
Is this topic PERTINENT?

• Does it have to do with the assignment at hand?
• If the assignment is to research fruits grown in
  Kentucky, don't choose to research "bananas".
• Bananas dont grow in Kentucky, so bananas is
  not a pertinent topic.

12
Is it RICH?

• Can you find enough information on your topic?
• The topic Women point guards in the NBA would
  be tough to find information on.
• Why?
• There arent any!

13
Is it NARROW ENOUGH?

• Don't choose "Viruses" for a two page science
  paper on "Diseases."
• There are thousands maybe even millions of
  viruses (which is far too many to effectively
  talk about in a short, two page paper.
• Choose, instead, a more specific disease
  like "Measles."

14
Finding a topic

• Before you can evaluate a topic, you have to find
  one...

15
Finding your topic

• Your topic should spring from something youre
  interested in.
• So how can you turn your interest in something
  like video games into good research topic?
• Good question!!!

16
The 6 Question Method

• helps you turn something youre interested in
  into a great topic by asking
• Who?
• What?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• How?

17
For example

• Lets go back to video games
• Who invented the first video game?
• What qualities does a good video game have?
• When did video games become popular?
• Where are the best places to buy cheap video
  games?
• Why might violent video games be harmful to kids?
• How have video games changed over time?
• The answer to any one of these questions would
  make an excellent research topic.